Patrick Cunningham of New Canaan: ìI think the focus needs to be on both, on-time performance and safety, not one or the other,î said Patrick Cunningham of New Canaan. ìI donít think itís a surprise that (on-time performance) is one of their objectives. I think itís a surprise that safety isnít as important as on-time performance to both the passengers and the workersÖ I really havenít noticed it (speeding trains). Being a passenger, you never really know what the speeding limit should be.î

After the Federal Railroad Administration put out a report Friday that criticized Metro-North's safety protocols and repair schedules, policymakers and train riders from the region were quick to react.

Jenny Serino lives in Derby and works in Fairfield. On Friday, she was waiting to catch a train to Stratford.

"This is what a lot of people depend on," she said of Metro-North. "They say it's better to just do things right the first time, but it's really true. If you don't, years down the road you're going to have to pay more. There's going be more work, more damages and more lawsuits."

"It makes me uncomfortable," he said of the report's findings. "I wish I could say that it might change my actions, but I'm in a tough situation with school and this is kind of my only way of transportation."

"This report confirms that the safety and reliability problems at Metro-North stem from a culture that allowed poor performance and lax enforcement of safety procedures. There is no reason we should accept anything less than safe and efficient service."

Related Stories

Alex Miccoli and Alana Miller, who are also students at Sacred Heart University, were together at the Fairfield station Friday night. They said they've felt the pinch of the railroad's fare increases, which took effect earlier this year. Miller said she's heard about the problems Metro-North has had over the past few months.

"I think it's an old system that is, in time, going to have problems," Miccoli said. "It's something that has been around for a very long time. People are going to slip up and make mistakes. It's used every day, so I can see how there are going to be some problems and some things that people don't catch."

"FRA's assessment of Metro-North's operations and safety compliance reaffirms that the railroad's safety habits must change. Connecticut commuters deserve to have confidence in their public rail system, and I will continue to push for aggressive action to implement and enforce critical safety requirements."

Sally England, of Easton, commutes to Stamford where she works for an investment bank. England said she's been riding Metro-North since 1977.

"I don't know what the solution is except for someone or some sort of committee to watch them constantly and hold them to a higher standard," she said. "I don't think commuters trust Metro-North to do it on their own."